


Belle Alliance

by ThirstyForRed



Series: Schadenfreude [2]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, i makes sense in my head, overcomplicated political metaphor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:28:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27938083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirstyForRed/pseuds/ThirstyForRed
Summary: "Would you be so kind and assist me with the choice?""They're just drinks," he says before he manages to stop himself, but Mary Luisa furrows her brows and looks at him so coldly. Suddenly Roderick understands why Foltest was willing to grant this woman her every wish."Humor me, Roderick." She says and that's just enough to make him look frantically at the table, trying to come up with recommendations.
Series: Schadenfreude [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2055258
Kudos: 2





	Belle Alliance

**Author's Note:**

> please don't try to make sense out of the official game timeline, it won't work. just imagine that only like half of stuff from tw1 happened and now we're a month or two before the start of tw3
> 
> and also it takes place few weeks before the Schadenfreude story [which definitely exist in some form i swear]
> 
> honestly, all of it was just an excuse to look at the list of alcohols from the first game [hey, why 15yo kid king has a vodka named after him?? why tf this the same kid is already know as 'stern'??? when I was 16 ppl just called me nuance or weirdo...]

_ winter 1272, Novigrad _

It’s yet another party and everyone acts like the war isn’t right behind the corner, and Roderick approaches the side table with all alcohols, for a second considering his options. The table is almost bending under the collection of bottles, of course, all pricey and flavorous - no one would accuse Vegelbuds of drinking piss poor vodka.

"I see I'm not the only one..." suddenly he hears the pleasant voice by his right side. "Overwhelmed by the possibilities."

"Baroness la Valette."

She looks as stunning as always. Almost. It is clear as day that both fall and winter were hard on her, there are bags under her eyes, still visible under the make-up. The certain set to her lips, suggesting she spent the last months stressed and worried out of her mind. And, all things considered, Roderick doesn't blame her...

But Mary Luisa's posture is straight, and both dress and hair as fine as ever. Her dress is black, with a pattern of subtle silvery fleur-de-lis, and just as well hidden suns. Instead of gems in colors of la Valette house, emeralds and rubies, she wears something many ladies in Vizima came to love - delicate iron chains. Accessory saying more than words ever could.

"Count de Wett." She greets him with the small courtsy, one that Roderick definitely doesn't deserve. "Would you be so kind and assist me with the choice?"

"They're just drinks," he says before he manages to stop himself, but Mary Luisa furrows her brows and looks at him so coldly. Suddenly Roderick understands why Foltest was willing to grant this woman her every wish. Well, almost every...

"Humor me, Roderick." She says and that's just enough to make him look frantically at the table, trying to come up with recommendations.

"Depends what kind of alcohol you prefer, baroness..." he reaches toward the bottle of Metinna rosé, but she lightly slaps his wrist and again looks in a way that would make even the Grandmaster run away with a tail between his legs.

"I'm looking for something more-" she stops herself and looks around the room, but unsurprisingly no one is paying them any attention, both pariahs in their own way. Yet she lowers her voice nonetheless. "Something more substantial. I only just returned to Novigrad and I heard you have been here now for weeks. And I know for a fact that de Aldesberg seeks your advice in political matters."

For a moment, very short and one that he will later deny, Roderick understands how easy it is to fall in love with Mary Luisa la Valette. Beautiful, sharp, and brilliant - the real triple threat of Temeria.

So he turns back to the table, now looking at it in the new light. "Southern wine won't do here..." he musses under his breath. "You're in need of something stronger."

"Stern?" She motions towards redanian herbal.

"Certainly one of the strongest drinks here, but I'm afraid it tends to not agree with everyone.” He looks, really looks at her dress, all intricate embroidery adorning the black material. “Besides, in case of accidental splitting, it could destroy sleeves of your dress."

Mary Luisa flicks her wrist just enough for the gold thread to catch the light and, for a moment, shine like a miniature sun. She gives him a smile.

"You're quite perceptive."

"Is this really such a surprise?" he can't stop the bitter grimace, but baroness simply shakes her head and points out another bottle.

"Lemon, then?"

"If you wanted nilfgaardian vodka you wouldn't ask for my opinion."

"I had an occasion to try it in those last few months. It's..."

"Acquired taste?"

"Yes. It is..." There's something on her face, some emotion Roderick can't quite name yet, but he can imagine what she feels. As the baroness just said, she moved to Novigrad from occupied Vizima. "Is this something you tend to drink?"

"No. No." he laughs without mirth. Jacques de Aldersberg shipped him out of the temerian capital just a week before the city was attacked. "To renew Order's friendship with the Hierarch," said the Grandmaster.

"I'm afraid it would poison me one day..." murmurs Roderick.

"Your family has a history of food poisonings?"

"No, not really. My father was executed by decapitation."

Mary Luisa signs softly.

"Temerian rye isn't even on the table," she points out, and indeed Vegelbuds didn't even bring it out of their basements.

"I'm afraid more time must pass before it can return, baroness."

"By that time it might taste faintly of lemons..." she pauses herself and looks him in the eyes. "I saw her, my daughter, in Vizima's palace."

And Roderick doesn't know what to do with this freely given information, the explanation for why baroness won't simply escape the Nilfgaard, so instead, he asks:

"Would it be better if the Temerian Spirit had herbal aftertaste?"

She eyes him, as if he really just said something stupid, but snorts after a second.

"If I had my way, right now I would be drinking sekt in Lan Exeter." And before he can even turn his eyes towards the table and try to look for a bottle of mentioned sparkling wine, she continues. "Don't bother, Foltest once explained it to me. All of the sekt shipped to the other kingdoms, even Novigrad, is simply watered down, otherwise it would spoil too fast. Or explode in bottles if shaken too much by the stormy sea. The wine is better, and cheaper, when drunk right where it was bottled."

Roderick wonders if the dead king had opinions on other alcohols as well, if he shared these insights with his lover. Or if, very likely, it's all her own cleverness.

"I don't think you're interested in anything more local?"

"Would it be stronger than whatever Vegelbuds do with their grapes? Or is it all just different kinds of tasteless beer?"

"You may not find it here, but there's the fire whiskey. From the distillery on Temple Isle."

Her eyes suddenly glow with interest.

"It's not like other alcohols, it has fire in the name for a reason."

"I can handle my own drinks," she responds, and there's cockiness in the way her smile suddenly changes. And by now Roderick knows temerian women well enough to know how stubborn they can be once they latch on a single idea.

"I suppose one must know beforehand which vintage would be the best..." she asks pointing out sweet and weak Metinnian rose, and he pours it for them both.

"I can inquire more about this. Of course, if this is something you want, baroness."

Mary Luisa smiles like this is exactly what she was waiting to hear this whole evening. And maybe she really did.

"To be truthful, I always admired your taste, Roderick. Yes, please do this in my name."

"I need to warn you, though," Roderick says because it's an important distinction, one that she needs to understand, "it's not the blend prepared by my Order."

"Is this not what Jacques drinks?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Lemon, then?"

Roderick shakes his head and takes a second to think. How to best explain what's going in Jacques de Aldersberg's head?

"The way I see it, he would drink poison if he knew it would get him exactly what he wants." 

Mary Luisa stops with glass wine raised to her mouth, looking like she's about to say something more, ask...

But that's exactly the moment when Ingrid Vegelbud, swooping dark green skirts, and piercing eyes, appears right next to them.

"What the two of you are doing here the whole evening? Praying?" She laughs and doesn't even wait for the response before she grabs Mary Luisa by the elbow and they both disappear in the small crowd of Vegelbuds' guests.

And Roderick, Metinnian rose in hand, a wine he personally finds overrated, eventually does the same.


End file.
